The Core Four
by 1monster2
Summary: All newsies are created equal...but who were their leaders? Find out all about Jack, Race, Crutchie, and Davey, and how they each help to lead the newsies in their own unique way! Contains references to "The Newsie Girl", but is meant to be a stand-alone. Please read and review!


**A/N: Hello, all! I know I should be working on "** _ **A Rich Man's Newsie**_ **", but I'm going to be packing so much that I don't know if I can or not.** **However, I got this idea last night, and I figured I'd have time to write this oneshot…even if I can't get a big chapter update out. (Cause seriously…those chapters take around 5 hours to write…and I need most of that time to pack…cause I still have a bunch to pack). I started thinking about this last night, when I remembered that I called Jack, Race, Crutchie, and Davey the "Core Four" of the newsies, and I started thinking about what that meant, and what different jobs they would have, and yada yada…and this is what my brain spat out. I know this won't replace a new update, but I hope it gives you something to enjoy while I try to find time to write "ARMN" Chapter 9!**

 **DISCLAIMER I DON'T OWN NEWSIES AND NEVER WILL I JUST LIKE WRITING STORIES ABOUT THEM BECAUSE I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!**

 **Please enjoy "** _ **The Core Four**_ **"!**

The newsies were a big family-that was obvious to anyone spending more than five minutes in their company. They weren't a "family by blood", with the same parents-which was _very_ obvious-but rather a "family by choice", people who had come together to form a family of their own. They ranged in age from ten to eighteen, and looked out for each other. There was plenty of teasing and bantering between them, but they truly cared about each other and wouldn't hesitate to soak anyone who came after one of their brothers. Or sisters, for that matter-they had a full-fledged sister named Juliet, who had joined them a couple of months ago after being stuck under a bridge for six months…and an honorary sister, Katherine Pulitzer, who they had allowed into the fold during their strike, and especially once she started dating Jack. If anyone went after the two girls, they would have to answer to their brothers…which didn't end well for the other person. The newsies were all equal, and that was the way they liked it.

Well, almost equal.

Obviously, if there isn't someone to take charge in any family-or really any situation-it would quickly descent into madness and chaos. The newsies had chosen their most responsible brother, Jack Kelly, to lead them, since they knew he was up for the task. Jack had soon asked Race to serve as his lieutenant, or second in command, to which Race _and_ the other newsies had agreed. Then, a little "Core Four" began to form, which branched out to include Davey and Crutchie. The newsies were all equal, but those four were the leadership group of the newsies, making sure that everything was running smoothly and giving orders to the other newsies (when needed-Jack didn't make a habit out of just giving orders for the fun of it). When these four spoke, the others listened, and they could "pull rank" (use their authority as a leader (or minor leader) ) of the newsies if they needed to.

But what did each person do, and what made them worthy of the job?

 **Jack:**

Jack, of course, was the leader of the newsie family. He was the oldest brother, and was the one who made the final decisions. He was also the one in charge of delegating jobs to the other newsies, and making sure that they were all getting along. He was majorly overprotective of his siblings, but they all knew that he had good intentions, and that he didn't want any of them to get hurt. He had seen too many brothers get hurt in his lifetime, and he didn't want to see it happen again. Jack also had a cool head under pressure. He, like many of the other newsies, didn't always show when they were angry. They could see when he was frustrated, but it was hard to see when he was truly angry. He was like ice-his fury burned long and cold, and it took a while to melt the ice and come to the surface. When he finally exploded, it took Race and Davey (two of the strongest newsies) to hold him back, to keep him from hurting anyone. When he raised his voice, and it wasn't in the course of selling papers, his brothers and sister took notice and listened, since they knew that he wouldn't do it unless there was a good reason. Whenever there was a tense situation, Jack would take a deep breath, and wouldn't speak until he had mentally examined all of the variables in the problem, and had an idea to fix some, if not all, of them. He was also very good at comforting the other newsies. He knew each of them very well, and knew what they needed to feel safe and comforted, and so if any of them were ever in need, he was happy to take care of them. For example, Crutchie would infrequently have nightmares about his time in the Refuge, or about Jack's time, as his older brother had told him about what happened when he was stuck inside that horrible place. When he had them, Jack knew that the one thing that would calm Crutchie down was to remind him that he-and Jack-were all right and still alive. So, whenever he woke Crutchie from a nightmare, he would pull the younger boy closer to him, before taking one of his friend's hands and placing it over his heart. The steady beat always seemed to reassure Crutchie that they were still alive and all right, and after a bit of reassurance, he would quickly fall back to sleep. Jack wasn't infallible-sometimes he made bad decisions, or threw caution out the window and exploded at someone without any cause, and sometimes he got extremely irritated and snappish and caused a lot of hurt feelings. That was when Race took over, and he and Davey forced Jack to take a break, usually sitting with Crutchie. They knew that the younger boy was Jack's emotional center, and whenever he was out-of-whack or constantly angry and snappish, he simply needed to sit by his best friend for a while, and have a chance to breathe and just sit in his brother's gentle company.

Jack was the leader of the newsies, and they would follow him anywhere he led. Not simply because they respected and trusted him-which, of course, they already did-but because they loved him, and he constantly showed them that that love was reciprocated.

Jack was the leader.

 **Race:**

Race was the second-in-command of the newsies, also known as the "lieutenant". Where that name had come from, no one had any idea, but it had stuck around, and quickly came to represent their older brother. Race was a little younger than Jack, and perfectly contrasted Jack as his lieutenant. A well-chosen second-in-command isn't someone who's a carbon copy of the leader, but someone who contrasts them, so that they balance the leader out. This was what Race brought very well to the job of lieutenant. Jack prepared to sort out all of the variables in his head and think before acting, but Race preferred to just jump into something, without thinking about the consequences. Whereas Jack's fury burned long, cold, and hidden, Race's was explosive, and burned hot, long, and extremely visible. If Jack was ice, then Race was certainly fire. Or maybe an active volcano. When he exploded, Jack (if he was in the vicinity) would wrap an arm around his waist, holding the younger boy back. Sometimes Race was able to break free, but Jack and another nearby newsies would usually be able to grab him again. However, there were some ways that they were similar. Race was just as protective of the younger newsies as Jack was, and had picked a corner to sell papers where he could see multiple newsies, and get there quickly if they were in trouble (he was one of the fastest newsies….they didn't call him Race for nothing!). He was also as caring and comforting as Jack, although he wasn't as adept at it as the newsie leader was, and his worry sometimes made his voice harsher then it needed to be. He was also just as cunning as Jack in taking care of their stubborn brothers, and getting them to do things even when they didn't want to or know they needed to, like sleep when they were obviously dead on their feet but refused to. He had kept the newsies together during the strike, which Jack was immensely thankful for, and led them whenever Jack was incapable or super cranky and needed to sit with Crutchie for a while. Race wasn't infallible either-he could be extremely brash and rude, and sometimes downright harsh. He also didn't often stop and think before he acted, sometimes heading into dangerous situations without a care in the world. He also tended to clash with Davey on certain occasions, leading to some intense arguments. That was when Jack would step in and pull Race aside and simply talk to him, since that seemed to calm him down. Gentle encouragement was usually all that was needed to get Race to calm down, but sometimes Jack also had to challenge him to relax and stop and think before he did something. That was usually all that was needed, as was the reminder that Jack trusted Race, and that he needed the younger boy by his side in order to be the best leader he could be.

Race was the second-in-command, and the newsies would follow him anywhere. Not because they respected and trusted him-which, of course, they did-but because they loved him, which he was quick to reciprocate, and because they knew that Jack trusted them to lead them in his absence, and they trusted anyone that Jack did to lead them.

Race was the lieutenant.

 **Crutchie:**

Crutchie wasn't a main leader of the newsies like Jack and Race, but he was still part of the "Core Four", and thereby the newsies still followed him as a leader and gave him a voice of authority. Why? Because he was the emotional center of the newsies-their heartbeat. He was the most optimistic and cheerful of all the newsies, even with his gimp leg. He kept the newsies going, even when things looked grim for them. They all loved him deeply, and respected immensely the fact that even though he had been horribly beaten and mistreated in the Refuge, he always had a smile on his face, and was always there to encourage the other newsies. If anyone tried to go after Crutchie, they would face the wrath of the entire newsie family-and especially Jack. The older boy and Crutchie had been best friends ever since they had met, and Jack always kept a close eye on the younger boy. He didn't want Crutchie to get hurt even more than he had in his sixteen years of life, and so he always had one eye on the younger boy. At first, Crutchie was surprised that Jack had made him part of the "Core Four", but he quickly understood why. He inspired the other newsies to never give up hope, even when things were at the darkest, and showed that even in the most terrible of circumstances, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, and there was always love. He was also probably the gentlest of the newsies, even more so than Jack, even though the newsie leader could be when he wanted to. Crutchie was usually one of the first people went to when they were having problems, and they didn't want to 'bother' Jack with them. Usually, just sitting with Crutchie for a while eased their fears, and helped them to relax. He was also one of the other newsies (besides Jack) who knew how to best calm down the other newsies. Like Jack, for example, simply needed to just sit with him for a while and just have a chance to breathe without the other newsies needing him to be a leader at the moment…to have a chance to just be Jack Kelly, the boy, and not Jack Kelly, the newsie leader. Or Juliet, who was one of those people who needed physical contact to ground herself and to calm herself down. She would often sit with him after a hard day of selling, simply leaning against him with his arm around her shoulders. Without Crutchie, the newsies would probably be in a pretty dark place right now, not having much hope for the future. Crutchie wasn't infallible, though-he often spent so much time looking out for the others that he didn't think to take care of himself, and so would outwardly put on a face for the others, he would inside be hurting and miserable. It took a practiced eye to notice it, however, because Crutchie hid it so well-although Jack seemed to instantly know, and Race and Davey learned to recognize it after a while. He also sometimes felt like the newsies just kept him around because he made them feel good, and not because they actually cared about him-and that that was the only reason that they would ever talk to him. Whenever this occurred, Jack would pull him away from the other newsies and the two would head up to the roof, which was their private spot (some other newsies had come up sometimes, when their nightmares of Crutchie in the Refuge got too intense, and they needed to realize that the younger boy was still alive). There, the two would simply sit for a while and talk, or just sit in silence, depending on what Crutchie needed. Jack would always follow Crutchie's lead on it, though-if Crutchie felt like talking, he would talk with him, but if he needed silence, he would respect that as well. Also during this time, Jack or Race or Davey would mention that the roof was currently off limits to the other newsies, so that the two boys could be up there alone. He would do whatever it took to make Crutchie feel like he belonged, and how much the other newsies loved him. Somehow, the younger newsies had caught on to what was going on when the two of them were up there, as when they eventually climbed back up (unless they just decided to stay up, since it was nighttime), there was always a little something left up there for Crutchie, along with a little note thanking him for everything that he had done, and telling him how much the newsie (whoever it was that day) loved him. It was the same if they had fallen asleep up there, but in that case it would be there in the morning.

Crutchie was the emotional leader of the newsies, and the newsies would follow him anywhere. Not because they respected or trusted him-which of course, they did-but because they knew that whatever they did, Crutchie would love them just the way they were, and that he kept them all from driving each other up the walls and going insane. He may not have felt like a leader, or thought that he deserved his place in the "Core Four", but the other newsies agreed that he was and did, and so listened to and obeyed everything that he said.

Crutchie was the emotional leader.

 **Davey:**

Davey was the brainy leader, the "book-smart" guy. He had found leadership kind of thrust upon him once he joined the newsies during the strike, since his background and family status meant that he had had a better education than the newsies. It also meant that he and Les had a different way of speaking than the other newsies, but Davey understood them perfectly-and also understood that "rich-man speak", as they called it, often went right over their heads, unless the person talking talked to them as simply as Davey did. If someone speaking used words that the newsies didn't understand, they immediately turned to Davey as a sort-of translator, who would repeat what the other person had said, only in simpler words, so that it would be easier for the newsies to understand. He was also one of the…smartest wasn't the best word, as most of the newsies were very smart….more _knowledgeable_ of the newsies. Because of his education, he knew a lot more things than the other newsies did, even though the others were very intelligent. For some reason, the newsies had been ending up in court a lot more lately, and they all looked to Davey to know what could count for evidence in certain things and what couldn't. He was also a kind-of lawyer for them, because he was the most articulate, and was able to argue their case far better than the others could. He, like Jack and Crutchie, had a rage that burned cold and hidden, and he hadn't really blown up too much. When he did, though, usually it took just Race to hold him back and keep him from hurting anyone. Davey definitely chose the "fight" rather than "flight" response when his anger exploded, but he wasn't as strong as Race, who didn't have to work too hard to hold him back, even though he had gotten stronger and better at fighting in the last few months or so. He was often the one who kept the newsies from doing something stupid or illegal, and was the first to make fun of himself so that the newsies would feel better about something stupid that they had done. Like the others, though, Davey wasn't infallible-he sometimes became rather cold and aloof, fonder of telling the newsies what they were doing wrong and not right, and could also become like a robot, hiding his feelings inside of himself because he-for some reason-believed that the other newsies would think poorly of him if he showed his feelings. In addition, whenever he got that way, he would get extremely snappish, harsh, and cranky. When this happened, Crutchie would usually drag him off somewhere where the other newsies couldn't find them (although, of course, Jack and Race always knew where they were, watching over the newsies-including Davey-as they did so well), and would force him to sit down and talk. Somehow, having someone simply sit there and listen to him helped Davey to get over his negative feelings and relax, and it also showed him that the newsies did care how he was feeling, and they didn't think poorly of him for it. Of course, the fact that that newsie sitting with him was pretty much always Crutchie also helped, as-as noted before-the younger boy was the gentlest of them all, and was the easiest to talk to-and the best at listening.

Davey was the brainy leader, and the newsies would follow him anywhere. Not because they respected or trusted him-which, of course, they did-but because he looked out for them, and wouldn't let anyone hurt them because that person was rich and thought that they were superior to the newsies, _and_ because he willingly joined the newsies, even with lots of people viewing them as below the bottom of the social ladder, and the fact that he had had more education in school than the other newsies had ever had-if they had had the chance to go to school.

Davey was the brainy leader

Together, these four newsies teamed up to make the "Core Four"-the leadership of the newsie family. Their younger siblings followed each of them, and would listen when they spoke. Jack was the ultimate leader, but he had realized that he needed people around him to balance him out, and not let the power go to his head and become a kind-of dictator. The other three newsies kept him centered, and helped him to make the best decisions necessary for his family. The fact that they were in the "Core Four" allowed them to speak with a voice of authority that the other newsies didn't have-even Crutchie and Davey, who were surprised to find themselves as part of the inner core.

Without the "Core Four", the newsies wouldn't be as close of a family as they had become.

The "Core Four" insured they _stayed_ a family.

 _ **A/N 2: So, this was complete brain and word-vomit…I hope you enjoy it! I figured that everyone was going to hate the cliffhanger on Chapter 8 of ARMN (and I was right), but I didn't think (and now know) that there won't be time for me to write a new chapter, what with all of the packing I have to still do. ;) Hopefully this makes up for it a bit…and you all enjoy it! It allowed me to examine their characters a bit more, and figure out things that they had problems with…and how to fix them… ;) I was sitting on my bed typing this, and going, "I am Crutchie. I am so Crutchie." (Although I'm like Juliet in how I feel loved, so…I'm Crutch-liet, I guess…**_ __ _ **)**_

 _ **Chapter 9 of ARMN should be out soon…it depends on when I have free time over the next few days. It'll probably start taking me a while to get chapters out now, since I will be having a lot more homework and will be involved in a lot more stuff, but I'll try my darndest to get updates out quickly, and not take super long like I have a tendency to do. ;)**_

 _ **I hope you all enjoy this, and I'll see you all on ARMN soon!**_

 _ **God bless,**_

 _ **1monster2**_


End file.
